Looking to take a walk on the wild side? Look no further than the Kranshoek Coastal Hiking Trail. Engaging all the senses, this challenging 9km route provides not only the ultimate workout but also the sweet serenity that comes from being in the great outdoors.

We recommend that you set aside a whole day for this trail, it is certainly not one to be rushed. You can take a dip along the way in untainted forest streams, or perhaps in one of the rock pools along the shoreline. There are so many spots en route which are ideal for picnicking - places to linger and digest the awesomeness of our region's diverse habitats.

The trail leads to the beach, where for some distance the crashing waves will be your guiding companion. But first, you will rove through an old coastal forest, and wind your way down from the plateau into a gorge through which a gentle river flows. You will walk among a variety of indigenous trees, which rise up in unison from the leaf-littered forest floor; you will walk past giant ferns and minute multi-coloured fungi; you will hop across tannin-tinted streams. The roar of the ocean can be heard while you are still deep in the forest, but eventually, from its cool shade, the trail opens up onto the pebble-strewn beach.

A little way down this beach is the turn off for the shorter 4km alternative route, which is recommended for those who are not quite as fit. It does nonetheless still require a good dose of stamina as there is a fair amount of climbing involved. Throughout the hike, you will come across interpretation boards covering various aspects of the ecology, such as the geological formations and the flora and fauna likely to be encountered here. It is interesting to learn just how these landscapes have formed over millions of years.

The trail weaves its way along the coastline, passing rocky outcrops that form buttresses to the invading sea. It is a kaleidoscope of colour around every corner: boulders draped with vivid orange and stark-white lichen; the emerald green of the forest and the sea’s shifting shades of blue. Make sure to look out for the rare Indo-Pacific humpback and inshore bottlenose dolphins. They often feed in the many rocky reefs close to the shore. Also from early winter and well into early summer one can see humpback and southern right whales skirting our Southern African coastline on their epic annual migration They can often be seen breaching from the shore - a totally mesmerizing sight.

The trail often veers off the beach, moving back into thickets of verdant forest. Parts of the hike are very strenuous as one has to clamber over boulders in the pathway and there are lots of ascents and descents throughout the route. Eventually, the trail makes a turn back into the forest for the final 200m ascent towards the plateau. When you finally reach the top, you will be afforded fantastic views of the coastline, this bird's eye view giving you an even greater appreciation for the trail you just walked. The vegetation along this part of the trail is very different, consisting of a variety of Fynbos species such as proteas and ericas. This final stretch of about 2km is fairly easy and flat and you will eventually find your way back to the Kranshoek picnic site from where you set off.

Entry is only R22 and is payable at the kiosk at the main gate.For more information visit www.sanparks.co.za or call: (044) 302 5606

Did you know that the octopus is considered the invertebrate intellect of the sea? Or that, every night thousands of giant pill bugs scurry along the beach eating all sorts of dead and decaying marine debris? Periwinkles have ingeniously adapted to withstand extreme daytime temperatures by literally ‘bungy jumping’, in tandem, off their scorching hot host rocks by a thread. Did you know that the sex of a crab can be distinguished by the shape of its abdomen? And that the blue bottles often seen strewn across our beaches are in fact siphonophores – which is a colony of four kinds of minute, highly modified individuals that live together and survive in symbiotic bliss.

Before I met Judy Dixon, I knew very little about these or any of the other weird and wonderful creatures that thrive here. In fact, I realised that I have been walking Sedgefield’s beaches for nearly a decade with blinkers on. Of course, I have always marvelled at the sublime beauty of this stretch of sand and sea, but I have never taken the time to really find out about the remarkable web of marine life that exists here. As Sedgefield’s unique inter-tidal marine world was exposed, the beach took on a whole new dimension and I felt suddenly truly connected to my surroundings. It was as if I was looking at this beach for the very first time.

As we set off with Judy on the 3-hour Starlight Stroll, dusk’s colours had all but drained from behind the sculpted fossil dunes and an infinite assembly of stars appeared overhead. The faint outlines of sandstone boulders were visible across the beachscape. We walked slowly; stopping often to study the beach’s numerous life forms. The dark pounding surf which flanked our path was a constant companion. We were headed for the intertidal zone near Gericke’s Point, which holds in its clear pools a most extraordinary display of life. Some of the most dazzling are the ‘anatomically complex’ vividly coloured anemones, the spiky sea urchins, elaborately designed cushion stars and other-worldly symmetrical starfish. We watched octopus on the prowl for dinner and small schools of adorable little zebra fish. There was something at which to marvel in every nook and cranny.

Countless nocturnal creatures which remain largely hidden during the day for fear of predation venture out in the dead of night and many of them exhibit fascinating and sometimes downright bizarre behaviour. Judy, a former biology teacher, is a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge about this marine world and her passion for this complex web of life holds an audience captive throughout the trail.

Judy’s motivation for doing these educational excursions is to create awareness. “Aware people care” she remarks with enthusiasm. She is eager to help people understand everything is connected: take one away, and delicate life cycles start to unravel. This highly educational trail successfully illustrates the complexities of our ocean environment and the need to protect it.